I just finished the first draft of an historical fiction set in the first century, 260K words, 80 chapters. I long ago quit worrying about word count, and just let the story tell itself. I have about 20 beta readers who have heaped praise on it, and nagged me for the next chapter to find out what happens next, so that was motivating. So now I am finished, and every one of these precious words and plot twists need to justify their existence. However, this is a complex story with ten major characters and about five more that play major roles during their time on stage. Not your average action/adventure. Bottom line is tell the story, save the length worries for later (I'll let you all know how this turns out!)
